


i am worthless beskar

by michaelfalls



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Lovers, Force Sensitive Din Djarin, M/M, Mandalorian Cobb Vanth, Mandalorian Jedi Din Djarin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-21 11:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30021000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michaelfalls/pseuds/michaelfalls
Summary: Following the trail of a valuable asset in the form of a child, two Mandalorians from the same clan meet again — one who is a Jedi and one who is a marshal.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. The Jedi

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lokislawyer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokislawyer/gifts).



> This chapter is just an introduction to Din up until the present day and the next one is Cobb's introduction. The third chapter will be the start of the story!
> 
> If I get any Star Wars lore wrong, feel free to correct me. I haven't written any fics that are deeply ingrained in the lore before so I may get things inaccurate.

**THE JEDI**

_**DIN DJARIN** _

_This is the way._

It’s something Din has been taught since he was just a child. When he was much smaller, his town was attacked by the Separatists. Being as young as he was, Din didn’t have a strong understanding of the politics that ravaged the galaxy, only knowing the basics like ‘Separatist bad, Republic good’. Now that he’s older, he knows things are never so black and white and he wished it were that simple.

But still, that was the way. You can’t trust the Separatists. All droids are heartless, literally and figuratively, and they will kill your parents before you so you can feel for a second what it’s like to die without death. They will point a blaster between your eyes so you feel what it’s like to realise you haven’t lived for a decade yet and that you never will.

That was until the mandalorians found Din and saved his life, obliterating the droids that plagued his town and carrying him to safety. They’d let him sleep on the flight back to where they stayed, a small bit of kindness that made him feel a little bit better. It didn’t alleviate Din’s grief but he appreciated the opportunity to rest.

When they got to the base, he was then informed that he is now a foundling and that the mandalorians had a creed where they couldn’t leave abandoned children behind should they encounter them. Din was put in the care of the mandalorian that saved him from the droid and he met the other foundlings that came to their base over the years.

One of them caught his attention; he had silver hair that Din saw the edges of from the bottom of his helmet. From his voice, he couldn’t be that much older than Din, the difference in their ages must be less than five years.

 _Cobb Vanth._ Din didn’t get to talk to him much so they were never close. He doesn’t think they even qualified as friends. They had only spoken once when they crossed paths and introduced themselves before being whisked away by their individual guardians. Din liked to think he was a good judge of character so he’d always assumed that Cobb was impulsive, arrogant and self-serving. Maybe he hit the bullseye and maybe he was wildly inaccurate, getting all that from a simple ‘I’m Cobb Vanth. Who the hell are you?’, but it didn’t change that Din did not have a good first impression of the other foundling.

Other than Vanth, Din got along fine with the other foundlings. They were mostly nice and open-hearted to people of different walks of life, something Din appreciated. Sure, Vanth did share the same sentiments but there was something about the silver-haired boy that made him unsettled. He could never see anyone’s eyes through the helmets they never removed but it always felt like Vanth’s gaze pierced right through beskar his eyes meeting Din’s whenever they were in the same area. They never spoke but seeing him around the mandalorian base made Din feel like there is an unspoken story that will never be complete.

It’s severely unsettling and Din tried to avoid Vanth whenever he can. It’s not that Vanth made him uncomfortable; maybe it’s the amount of comfort he feels around what’s basically a stranger that has Din so bothered. He didn’t know why Vanth made him feel the way he does.

When he got a few years older, when the grief of losing his parents had slowly been worn away by long days of training, Din discovers that he can make his helmet fly to his hand by simply thinking about it.

He kept it to himself; he didn’t know what to make of this newfound power. He’d never heard of any mandalorian who possessed this ability, or other individuals in the galaxy for that matter. Though, the mandalorians tended to stay buried so Din wouldn’t know if anyone else could do what he could. 

Regardless, it was his secret. When he was alone, Din used his power, never trying it on anything larger than his helmet. He worried that it would get him caught. He’s not sure on the mandalorians’ stance on powers like his; if they would accept it, think him insane or exile him. He didn’t have anywhere else to go if they threw him out so he thought keeping quiet is the best move.

Sometimes, Din wishes he had other places to go than this base. He loved the mandalorians like family and they were his family, but he wished there was something more than this.

oOo

_**OBI-WAN KENOBI** _

When Obi-Wan felt the Force coming from an unknown area on Nevarro, he thought ‘that can’t be right’. He’d picked up Luke and Leia Skywalker, thinking that was it for Force-sensitive children and then he realised it wasn’t just them out there.

He brought Luke to Tatooine, putting him in the care of Anakin’s family Owen and Beru, and Senator Bail Organa agreed to adopt Leia. Once he was sure they’ll be safe without him for a few days, he used the Force to relocate the other person he’d felt. 

Whoever it is must have some level of mastery over their skills by now so they’re likely a teenager or adult, not an infant like the Skywalker twins. They didn’t use their abilities often so Obi-Wan had to wait until they did again, which thankfully wasn’t too long after he arrived on Nevarro.

Obi-Wan followed the Force until he got to a secluded area outside the town where he saw a teenage boy in Mandalorian armour lifting rocks and throwing them aside. He couldn’t see anything about the teenager, his features hidden beneath a helmet, but he could feel that he was strong, his potential brimming just under the surface.

“Hello there.”

The boy spins around before Obi-Wan even finished his greeting, raising a blaster and pointing it right at his head. “Who are you?”

“My name is Obi-Wan,” he says, raising his hands so the boy knows there’s no fight in him. “I come as a friend.”

The helmet stops Obi-Wan from seeing any sort of facial expression but the Force tells him the teenager is wary of him. When the helmet tips to where his lightsaber hangs, the boy’s grip on the blaster tightens. “You are no friend of mine.”

“I know you’re a Mandalorian,” Obi-Wan begins, making sure his hands are nowhere near his lightsaber. “But there’s no animosity between you and me, is there? We have no personal feud with each other.” When the boy doesn’t make any move to put his blaster down, Obi-Wan reaches out to him with the force. “I felt you use your abilities and came here as soon as I could.”

The boy recoils slightly, lowering his blaster slightly. “How did you know about me?”

“The Force,” Obi-Wan explains, gesturing to the blaster. The teenager slowly puts it down. “Your power, it comes from the Force. What do you know about it?”

"Nothing."

Once the blaster is back on its holster, Obi-Wan asks, “What’s your name?”

The boy hesitates and Obi-Wan tries to extend friendliness, using the Force to convey that he only wants to help, intending no harm. It must work because the boy caves, answering, “Din Djarin.”

“Din, alright,” Obi-Wan echoes, nodding slightly. “You’re very gifted, I could feel you from Tatooine. Does anybody know you can wield the Force?”

“Just me,” Din says, watching as Obi-Wan demonstrates his own abilities by making a rock gravitate towards his hand. “You really have it too. What’s wrong with us?”

It seems like the confirmation that they both share mastery of the Force put Din a little more at ease which is good. Obi-Wan explains, “Nothing is wrong, I promise. You have a rare gift, Din. I understand if you are wary but I must offer; Myself and other individuals can use the Force, we can help you master it. If you come with me, I can train you.” Din considers it genuinely, glancing around at the empty area in thought. Obi-Wan is patient, though he adds, “Will you take off the helmet?”

“No,” Din says half-heartedly, his mind occupied with the offer. “I can’t.”

Obi-Wan pauses. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

“It goes against the creed,” Din explains.

“No, it...” Obi-Wan starts before he decides against it. Din must not know he’s a child of the Watch but it doesn’t seem like he’s practising any extreme beliefs other than the helmet rule. Though, if he takes Din under his wing as a Padawan, he can attempt to guide him out of his Death Watch beliefs. “Well, it’s quite alright if that’s your preference. Would you like me to train you?”

“Do I have to leave my clan?” Din asks.

Obi-Wan thinks about it, answering, “I’m certain we can work something out if you really want to train. You have a lot of potential, I can sense it in you. It’d be a waste to not hone your abilities. Do you want to learn?”

Din says, unsure, “I don’t think Mandalorians can be Jedis.”

“Be the first,” Obi-Wan says encouragingly. “You can be the bridge to resolve the animosity or you can simply be a Mandalorian Jedi making his way through the galaxy.”

Moment after moment passes until Din finally concedes. “I’d like to train. How are we going to do this?”

“If you cannot leave, I can come to Nevarro regularly and I will train you whenever I’m here. It’s slower compared to bringing you to a Jedi temple but this is the best we can do if you’re adamant on staying here,” Obi-Wan suggests. “Are you alright with this arrangement?”

Din nods slowly. “I am. Are we starting now?”

“If you wish to,” Obi-Wan says, levitating a rock between them. “Then we can start with the basics.”

oOo

_**DIN DJARIN** _

Din trained under Obi-Wan Kenobi in secret while continuing to practice the way of the Mandalore. Nobody in the clan knew about his control over the Force though a few other foundlings had come close to discovering it. Namely, Cobb Vanth, up until he decided to go off on his own and be a bounty hunter of sorts. Din didn’t know the details but didn’t care enough. He was glad Cobb was gone because of how close he’d come to exposing Din and his powers.

The years that passed him by did nothing for the feeling Cobb gave him. It’d gotten so distracting that Din eventually confided in Obi-Wan one time. When Obi-Wan was still around, he said it’s not necessarily always a bad thing and that the Force may be trying to guide him towards something.

Din wondered what exactly would he need to be guided on in regards to Cobb Vanth. There’s nothing special about him.

Once he was old enough, Din left Nevarro and followed Obi-Wan to Tatooine where he met Luke Skywalker, a boy who was also strong in the Force. They’d become friends, training together until he got his own lightsaber. He’d selected a white Kyber Crystal for his, wanting a neutral colour and hoping the white honours his silver beskar armour.

Luke often asked if Din could take his helmet off or if he could try it on. Din’s answer was always no.

He’d tried to keep his reputation small; a Mandalorian Jedi is too rare to maintain a low profile if Din wanted to be honest with himself but it’s worth the shot. Yet, he found himself missing the more exciting life of a Mandalorian compared to how peaceful being a Jedi is. That thought process ended with Din deciding to be a bounty hunter. He met Greef Karga and being both a Mandalorian and a Jedi, Karga instantly made his price extremely high in the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, reserving the best pucks for him to pick from. Job after job, his high price only gets higher. Karga helped him keep his low profile by giving him no-contact pucks.

Karga told him of a Mandalorian that used to be in the Guild but quit to pursue a different career path. Din wonders what that is or if he knew who they were. Though, they were long gone before Din joined so it didn’t matter. He’s not sure why the Force pulls him towards this Mandalorian.

At some point, Din felt it -- the Force is leading him to something, someone. A Force-sensitive individual. Din didn’t know if he should look for them without Obi-Wan’s council after he died years ago. Yet, he knew Obi-Wan came looking for him when he was a teenager and he would advise him to go for it.

So Din told Karga to reserve some good pucks for him while he’s gone, taking a blaster and a lightsaber with him as he leaves for Arvala-7 on the Razor Crest, guided by the Force.

_This is the way._


	2. The Marshal

**THE MARSHAL**

_**COBB VANTH** _

_This is the way._

To Cobb, the motto had always carried a gravity that seems uncompromisable. While the Mandalorians that took him in meant it like a tradition, a collective belief, Cobb took it as a pessimistic outlook; that he had no say in how things go and that he should simply accept that this is and will always be the way.

Before he’d been picked up by the Mandalorians, Cobb had been a slave, that life leaving a star, dots and hashes across his back that will never go away. They will stick with him forever, just like the traumatic memories. Cobb hates that he still wakes up in the middle of the night, sweat dripping from his hair and breaths shallow and quick.

The foundlings had been, at first, wary. Most of them arrived at the same time apparently, during the Separatist movement, and had the chance to get familiarised. Cobb was taken in, older than most of the other foundlings, and a few months too late to befriend anyone.

Of course, some foundlings were nice and talked to him. He never did get very close with any of them though one intrigued him deeply. Once, when Cobb briefly ran into him at the camp, just the two of them, he’d started with, “I’m Cobb Vanth. Who the hell are you?”

The boy had answered, “Din Djarin.” Din had dark brown hair that curls at the ends. Cobb could see it under his helmet. He wished he could see the rest of his face -- with a voice like that, the face must be just as enchanting.

Of course, because it was against the creed, Cobb never did get to see Din’s face just as Din never saw his. In fact, they didn’t see each other very much. Cobb thought Din might be avoiding him and honestly, he had no damn clue why. Did he give off that terrible a first impression? Cobb didn’t know where he went wrong but his gut had never let him down, and his instinct was telling him that Din had a lot more to him than Cobb could see.

It got him curious. He tried to find an in with Din wherever he could, offering to eat or train with him. Din always found a way out; it was like running back and forth in a never-ending race. As the years went by, Cobb began to lose sight of where his curiosity in Din became some kind of sick infatuation with a boy he knew nothing about other than his name, his wavy brown hair and the way his helmet shines from all angles.

Sometimes, when they were in the same area, Cobb could swear Din was staring right at him through his beskar. He wondered if Din felt the same or if it was just the sunlight to him.

Din had a habit of sneaking off to do something in secret and Cobb had accidentally walked in on him a few times. Thankfully, it was nothing awkward but the tension in Din’s shoulders always gave away how alarmed and betrayed he was every time Cobb almost found out whatever secret he was hiding.

Eventually, Cobb got tired, and infatuation melted into something alike to weary indifference. He grew to ignore Din like Din had ignored him until he got old enough and left the clan to become a bounty hunter with the Guild.

As a Mandalorian, Greef Karga had been more than happy to grant him a spot in the Guild, though the decision to allow Cobb to bypass an entrance fee of a worthy hunt means that Cobb will have to work his way up to a high price and priority access to the best pucks. Cobb agreed with the arrangement and went after bounty after bounty, collecting credits across the galaxy as the name Cobb Vanth became as fleeting as drawings in Tatooine sands. Mandalorians are rare to come by as is so a Mandalorian bounty hunter is always in high demand, especially for people wanted dead. People ended up knowing him as Mando, the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.

As his reputation for being one of, if not the best, bounty hunter in the galaxy grew, Cobb started to crave a more private life where people didn’t stare at his painted beskar armour wherever he went. He asked Greef for a favour -- to tell people he had left the Guild but to continue sending pucks his way if he found anything good. Greef agreed to keeping him a secret and did send him good bounties.

Cobb, after many years on Nevarro, found his way back to Tatooine where he found Mos Pelgo, ravaged by some Krayt dragon and Tusken Raiders. He felt like he landed in a gold mine -- Cobb told the townsfolk that as a Mandalorian, he’s good at killing, a fact that every being in the galaxy knew by heart. He said that this means he can stay and defend the town from the Krayt dragon and the sand people but that he will only do it if they offer him shelter, supplies and payment for his help.

They readily agreed. Cobb had a furnished home in Mos Pelgo by the time the suns set. By morning, the whole town knew him as their unofficial marshal, paid by those who had credits to offer.

By the time he’s been there for two weeks, Cobb had hired some gunslingers in Mos Eisley to help him handle the Krayt. Together, they’d killed it, giving the body to the sand people to establish some kind of peace treaty between them and the people of Mos Pelgo.

At that point, Cobb liked the people so much that he told them to stop paying him. He’d never felt more welcome than in Mos Pelgo.

Greef sent him a message with Guild updates -- it’s not that Cobb asked for any but Greef thought he’d find it interesting. He says a Mandalorian with a sword of light joined the Guild. Cobb’s instinct says he’s dangerous.

Greef also sent him a new puck not long after, telling him that this is a very expensive asset and that he will have to meet the client face to face for it. Despite how ominous the situation seemed, Cobb trusted his instincts and he knew something was wrong with this.

He went back to Nevarro to meet the client -- the asset is 50 years old and they will pay him enough pure beskar to make a full set of armour. They’re Imperial.

Cobb agrees to the bounty and claims his tracking fob -- it sends him to a spot on Arvala-7.

His head: If the Imperial wants this person, they must be dangerous. Maybe it’s that Mandalorian with the sword.

His heart: I cannot let the Empire have them. They will be bled dry and left for dead.

So Cobb gets on his ship and sets a course for Arvala-7.

_This is the way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so the next chapter will be the one where Din and Cobb meet again. Hopefully, that one will be longer since it's not an introduction chapter.


End file.
